Process for manufacturing horizontal transistor structure



June 27, 1967 F. B. HUGLE 3,323,214

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING HORIZONTAL TRANSISTOR STRUCTURE Original Filed April 22, 1963 FIG. 1.

FIG. 2.

I1 lz' f ll M a: 2 INVENTOR.

Q FRANCES B. HUGLE United States Patent 3,328,214 PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING HOREZONTAL TRANSISTOR STRUCTURE Frances B. Hugle, Santa Clara, Calif. Siiiconix Inc.,

1140 W. Evelyn Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086) Original application Apr. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 274,424, now Patent No. 3,246,214, dated Apr. 12, 1966. Divided and this application Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 550,063 3 Claims. (Cl. 148-175) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for forming a transistor having horizontally disposed elements.

A body of high conductivity forms a supporting base. An epitaxial layer of opposite conductivity is formed atop that body, the outer portion of which layer, horizontally, forms the collector. A mask is next formed over the epitaxial layer and it is provided with an aperture. A working base is conjoined to the supporting base by diffusing a first vapor impurity through the aperture. An emitter is formed within the volume of the working base by diffusing a second vapor impurity through the same aperture and by stopping the second diffusion so as to retain a ring-shaped working base.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 274,424, filed Apr. 22, 1963, now Patent No. 3,246,214.

My invention relates to semiconductor transistor devices and particularly to the juxtaposition of the elements thereof for improving electrical response.

It is recognized that the unified structure of semiconductor devices frequently imposes performance limitations upon them. One example is the existence of relatively high series resistance in the base electrode of a transistor. This limits operation of the transistor at high frequencies; particularly in the range known as the ultrahigh radio frequencies, extending above one gigacycle cycles per second).

The base area is relatively lightly doped and thus has relatively high resistance, of the order of several ohms, whereas the highly doped emitter and epitaxial collector have resistances orders of magnitude smaller.

It will be recalled that known transistor structures are vertically disposed as to the actual working interfaces when the wafer thereof is horizontally positioned.

I have been able to form a new structure in which the interfaces are between elements which are horizontally disposed. This is accomplished by forming the base of two concentrations of doping; lightly doped in a small and annular shaped part of the element which carries the working interfaces and highly doped in the large supporting part of the element which also acts as the major body of the semiconductor structure. In effect, the working part of the structure is disposed horizontally, one element in relation to the other, atop the highly doped part of the base element.

The required structure is fabricated by forming a thin epitaxial layer upon the top of a wafer of the opposite type of semiconductor material. A layer of oxide is formed over that and a single hole is formed therein. By successive diffusions an annular ring which forms the active base element and an inner disk which forms the emitter element are produced. The ring becomes one with the wafer material beneath it, since it is formed of the same conductivity type as that substrate. Oxide is not grown during the base diffusion so that the emitter is diffused through exactly the same opening and the base thickness in the horizontal direction is non-analogous to the vertical base dimension in a conventional double diffused transistor.

An object of my invention is to provide a semiconductor device of the transistor class which is operative at ultra-high radio frequencies.

Another object is to provide a horizontal rather than a vertical transistor structure.

Another object is to provide a transistor in which the gain for small signal amplitudes is relatively high.

Another object is to provide a transistor in which the series resistance of the base electrode is low.

Another object is to provide a transistor device in which the external leads may be taken from only one side thereof.

Another object is to make a connection to a transistor element of small dimensions by employing an intermediary of semiconductor material.

Other objects will become apparent upon reading the following detailed specification and upon examining the accompanying drawings, in which are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of my invention.

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation view of a piece of semiconductor having an upper layer of opposite type and of doping level suitable for a collector.

FIG. 2 is the same during the formation of oxide thereover.

FIG. 3 is the same showing the results of photo-etching.

FIG. 4 is the same during the base diffusion step.

FIG. 5 is the same during the emitter diffusion step.

FIG. 6 shows the completed transistor, with ohmic contacts.

FIG. 7 shows an alternate construction to FIG. 5, which includes a third diffusion step, or, by suitable masking results from the diiiusion step of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 shows an alternate construction to that of FIG. 6, in perspective, in which the structure is elongated for power handling purposes.

FIG. 9 shows an alternate construction to that of FIG. 6, in which all connections are made at the top surface of the semiconductor structure, and

FIG. 10 shows an alternate construction to FIG. 6 in which the types of semiconductor have been interchanged in the respective elements.

In FIG. 1 numeral 1 indicates a piece of semiconductor material; silicon for the purposes of this explanation. This is shown as a piece of a wafer, although a full wafer with a multiple of such pieces may be processed and the individual pieces separated later.

In FIG. 1 the symbol P+ has been placed upon semiconductor for piece 1, indicating highly doped P type silicon, for example. Such material has relatively very low resistance, as 0.005 ohm-cm, and may be formed by doping with a group III element impurity, such as boron, in the ratio of the order of one part of boron to 10 parts of silicon. In this figure the growth of N type silicon as an epitaxial upper layer 2 is shown as completed. This layer has the doping level of the collector element of the transistor, a part of which layer later becomes the collector element. The doping level of this material is signified by the subscript 1; i.e., N and is essentially two orders of magnitude less than that which forms the emitter subsequently. It is also essentially of the doping level of the P+ material.

, In FIG. 2 a refractory coating 5, such as silicon oxide, is being formed on the work piece of FIG. 1. This is accomplished by exposing the semiconductor surface to steam, as indicated by the dotted inclined arrow 6, in the presence of oxygen and at an elevated temperature of the whole, as indicated by arrows 4. Other equivalent methods of obtaining this oxide may be employed, as may a nitriding process to give silicon nitride. The requirement for coating 5 is that it be refractory at semi-.

conductor diffusion temperatures and that it be etchable.

In FIG. 3 the refractory layer has been provided with a hole 7, of the order of 0.001 inch diameter or less, by means of photo-resist techniques. To accomplish this the upper surface of refractory coating is coated with a known photo-resist and a film, transparent save for one small area, say circular and of a diameter of 0.001, is placed over the photo-resist and the same exposed with ultra-violet light. The photo-resist is then developed, which removes the same under the 0.001 opaque area of the film. With an etch such as hydrofluoric acid the oxide layer 5 is removed from that area. This produces the hole 7 of FIG. 3.

The work is now prepared for the double diffusion steps to be successively accomplished through the same hole, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

In FIG. 4, by the impingement of the vapor of a group III element, say boron, a saucer of P type silicon is formed below and under the oxide layer 5 as shown. It is important that oxygen be absent during this process, otherwise a structure other than that desired eventuates. This diffusion produces P semiconductor material, which has a doping level of intermediate value between the N material for the collector previously formed in FIG. 1 and the N material for the emitter to be formed according to FIG. 5. In general, the doping level of the N material is two orders higher (100 times greater) than the N material and the P material is one order higher times greater) than the N material.

It is to be noted that the P diffusion 10 extends under the edges of coating 5 in FIG. 4 by virtue of the inherent mechanism of the diffusion process. The process is car ried on until it extends definitely beyond the N layer 2 and into P+ layer 1, making a bond with the latter and thus forming a condition allowing continuous electrical conduction regardless of the fact that the degree of conductivity is one order different between the two P materials.

In FIG. 4 the impingement of the boron vapor is indicated by the dotted vertical arrows 8 and the accompanying heat by the wavy arrows 9. This processing is accomplished in a furnace known to the art, which is maintained at a temperature within the range of 900 to 1,300 C.

In FIG. 5 a second diffusion is made through the same aperture 7 of FIG. 3. This diffusion forms emitter 11. It is accomplished by impinging the vapor of a group V element of the Periodic Table, such as phosphorus, upon the previously diffused P material, as indicated by dotted arrows 12 while maintaining the work at a temperature of the order of 1,000 C., as indicated by the wavy arrows 14, in a known furnace. The diffusion is carried forward to produce N silicon, having a doping level two orders of magnitude greater than the original N material 2 (that is, a doping level 100 times greater) and also to the extent that the N material extends to or just beyond the original boundary between the N and the P+ materials at 15. Since the P+ substrate and the N+ emitter are both highly doped, the emitter base junction will not move as rapidly into the substrate as it does into the top epitaxial layer.

FIG. 6 shows the completed transistor in vertical section, including ohmic contacts. The latter may be of gold alloyed to the transistor in the known manner. Emitter ohmic contact 16 has the shape of a small disk and a diameter of less than 0.001, collector ohmic contact 17 has the shape of a ring and a diameter of the order of 0.002, while the base ohmic contact 18 has the shape of a disk of the order of 0.003" diameter and extends over substantially all of the base material 1 in order to provide a low resistance connection.

Etching of oxide coating 5 is required to allow the ring contact 17 to the collector to make contact with the same. This is accomplished by known photo-resist technique-s in the same way as hole 7 of FIG. 3 was formed.

In transistors intended for high frequency operation it is desirable to minimize capacitances between all of the elements thereof. In FIGS. 5 and 6 the emitter capacitance to other elements is minimized by the small size of the emitter. However, the collector to base capacitance has not been minimized. The common extent of elements 2 and 1 is considerable. This extent can be markedly decreased by modifying the structure of FIG. 5 to that of FIG. 7. This calls for an additional diffusion of P silicon into the area surrounding the net area required for collector 2. This is accomplished by forming another oxide coating over the whole top surface and engaging in an additional photo-resist coating and exposure step in which a ring around the outer part of the whole structure is made devoid of photo-resist by a film having a suitable pattern, by exposure and by development as known. The extremes at left and right of oxide layer 5 are then etched away. FIG. 7 shows the process completed and the photoresist and oxide layers removed, prior to the step of FIG. 6 in which ohmic contacts are attached.

With only the outer ring 20 exposed the P diffusion is accomplished, as in FIG. 4 and according to the same technique.

- In fact, it will be appreciated that the outer ring 20 may be diffused with P material at the same time as the central P formation takes place according to FIG. 4. This merely calls for a film having both the central dot and the surrounding ring opaque portions and then processing as has been indicated.

In any event, it is shown by the completed diffusion processing of FIG. 7 that the N area 2 common to the P+ area 1 is greatly reduced and so is the capacitance between collector and base. The P material 20 coalesces with the P+1 so that the area between the two that was formerly N has been eliminated.

In FIG. 8 an alternate structure is shown in sectional prospective in which the several elements of the transistor are elongated in a front-to-back aspect, whereas in the earlier figures these were circular. This modification is made in order to increase the power-handling capability of the transistor.

The method of manufacture is the same as in the prior embodiment of FIG. 6. The additional P zone of FIG. 7, zone 20, may also be included in the same way as before. The structure of FIG. 8 shows the semiconductor elements; gross base 21, working base 23, collector 22 and emitter 25. The protective oxide remaining over the junctions in FIG. 6 has not been shown for sake of clarity, but it is preferable to retain this oxide, since it performs the important function of protecting the junctions from contamination, moisture, etc. during the life of the transistor.

Since the working volumes of the transistor of FIG. 8 may be increased several times over the corresponding volumes in FIG. 6, the power capability of the former device of FIG. 8 may be in the tens of watts range. High frequency operation at relatively high power is sought after in the applications of transistors to electronic tech nology.

In various embodiments of semiconductor devices in electronic technology the integrated circuit technique is employed. In this technique more than one transistor, diode, capacitor and/or resistor is formed in one wafer of semiconductor material, such as the partially shown N silicon 27 of FIG. 9. In this way, minute circuits may be formed for logic gates, etc. at low and moderate frequencies of operation and for complete ultra-high fre' quency circuits for high frequency operation.

In FIG. 9 a pad 28 of P+ silicon is diffused into the gross N silicon wafer by the photo-resist and oxidizing preparation technique of FIG. 3 and by the diffusion technique of FIG. 4, with the doping levels altered to give P+ diffusion instead of P and so on as will be understood from the whole disclosure of this specification. Similarly, the whole transistor structure comprised of collector 29, oxide coating 30, P base 31, emitter 32, emitter ohmic contact 33, is formed as previously described.

As an alternate, N silicon may be diffused into the silicon all around the P pad to give the structure of FIG. 9. This is normally accomplished by growing a P+ layer on top of an N layer epitaxially and then using N type diffusion to separate the P+ pads.

With this kind of integrated circuit embodiment all connections to the transistor thereof must be made on one side of the wafer. None of the transistor elements extend through to the other side of the wafer. Accordingly, pad 28 in FIG. 9 is formed large enough to accommodate placement of ohmic contact 35 so as to surround the transistor structure per se. This contact is made in the same manner as has been previously described for other ohmic contacts.

All of the description thus far has pertained to the NPN type of transistor. My invention is equally applicable to the PNP type. This type is shown in FIG. 10. This illustration is otherwise the equivalent of FIG. 6.

Specifically, the initially employed piece of semiconductor is of the N+ type indicated by numeral 37. Collector 38 has P doped material, which is the lowest doping level of this structure. The N active base diifusion 39 has a doping level approximately one order greater than the P material. The P material of emitter 40 has the highest doping level; two orders higher than the P material. The protective oxide is shown at 41 and the emitter ohmic contact at 42, the collector ohmic contact at 43 and the base ohmic contact at 44.

It will be understood that the doping levels employed in the embodiments of the transistors illustrated may be varied to give specific electrical properties according to the circuit application for which the transistor is intended. For instance, the actual doping levels employed are selected to give the desired compromise between emitterbase breakdown voltage and the emitter-base capacitance on the one hand and the transistor alpha (current gain) and series resistance of the base on the other hand. For a high doping level a low breakdown voltage characteristic is obtained, along with high capacitance; but with low series resistance and a high value of alpha.

It is to be noted that my construction avoids low gain for small signals because the voltage drop of the signal in the series resistance of the base is negligible. Since important transistor applications occur at low signal levels, this is a significant improvement.

While silicon has been chosen as the semiconductor material in the illustrative embodiments given, germanium may also be used, with due consideration to the chem istry, processing and temperatures required for this semiconductor material.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the relative sizes and shapes of the elements of my structure and that variations in the processing procedure may be permitted without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention and the manner in which it is to be practiced, I claim:

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which consists of the steps of;

(a) forming a body of one type of conductivity (P+) having a first impurity one valence group removed from that of the semiconductor material of said body and of the order of one part of impurity to parts of semiconductor to provide a base of high conductivity,

(b) forming an epitaxial layer upon a surface of said body having a second impurity one valence group oppositely removed from that of said semiconductor material with respect to the valence of said first impurity and of the order of one part of impurity to 10 parts of semiconductor, to provide semiconductor material of low conductivity relative to that of said body to form a collector (N of said semiconductor device,

(0) forming an oxide mask (5) over said epitaxial layer,

(d) opening a single aperture in said mask,

(e) diffusing a first vapor of the said impurity one valence group removed from that of the semiconductor of said body through said aperture and into said epitaxial layer and into that part of said body below said epitaxial layer and radially beyond the periphery of said aperture to form an active base of low conductivity relative to that of said body of semiconductor material having said one type of conductivity (P and of said impurity of the order of one part of impurity to 10 parts of semiconductor,

(f) subsequently diifusing a second vapor of an impurity one valence group oppositely removed from that of said first vapor through only the same said aperture and into only the central volume of said active base to form an emitter (N of higher conductivity than that of said body of semiconductor material having a type of conductivity opposite to said one type and of said oppositely removed impurity of the order of one part of impurity to 10 parts of semiconductor.

2. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor of claim 1, in which;

(a) the process of forming said body is continued until the resistivity of the semiconductor thereof is reduced to the order of 0.005 ohm-cm.

3. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor of claim 1 which includes the additional steps consisting of;

(a) forming a second oxide mask over said emitter (N and over said oxide mask (5),

(b) opening a ring aperture in the combined masks radially spaced from and surrounding said base of low conductivity (P and (c) diffusing a first vapor through said ring aperture into and through said epitaxial layer (N to decrease the extent of said epitaxial layer (N coextensive with said base of high conductivity (P+) by thereby substituting a further volume of low conductivity base semiconductor material (P bonded to the semiconductor material of said body (P+).

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,025,589 3/1962 Hoerni 148-175 3,165,811 1/1965 Kleimack et a1 148-175 3,236,701 2/1966 Hung Chang Lin 148l75 3,244,950 4/ 1966 Ferguson 148175 3,260,902 7/1966 Porter 14833 OTHER REFERENCES Van Ligten: IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 4, No. 10, pages 58-59, March 1962.

HYLAND BIZOT, Primary Examiner. DAVID L. RECK, Examiner.

N. F. MARKVA, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WHICH CONSISTS OF THE STEPS OF; (A) FORMING A BODY OF ONE TYPE OF CONDUCTIVITY (P+) HAVING A FIRST IMPURITY ONE VALENCE GROUP REMOVED FROM THAT OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL OF SAID BODY AND OF THE ORDER OF ONE PART OF IMPURITY TO 10**4 PARTS OF SEMICONDUCTOR TO PROVIDE A BASE OF HIGH CONDUCTIVITY, (B) FORMING AN EXPITAXIAL LAYER UPON A SURFACE OF SAID BODY HAVING A SECOND IMPURITY ONE VALENCE GROUP OPPOSITELY REMOVED FROM THAT OF SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL WITH RESPECT TO THE VALENCE OF SAID FIRST IMPURITY AND OF THE ORDER OF ONE PART OF IMPURITY TO 10**6 PARTS OF SEMICONDUCTOR, TO PROVIDE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL OF LOW CONDUCTIVITY RELATIVE TO THAT OF SAID BODY TO FORM A COLLECTOR (N1) OF SAID SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, (C) FORMING AN OXIDE MASK (5) OVER SAID EPITAXIAL LAYER, (D) OPENING A SINGLE APERTURE IN SAID MASK, (E) DIFFUSING A FIRST VAPOR OF THE SAID IMPURITY ONE VALENCE GROUP REMOVED FROM THAT OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR OF SAID BODY THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND INTO SAID EPITAXIAL LAYER AND INTO THAT PART OF SAID BODY BELOW SAID EPITAXIAL LAYER AND RADIALLY BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID APERTURE TO FORM AN ACTIVE BASE OF LOW CONDUCTIVITY RELATIVE TO THAT OF SAID BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAVING SAID ONE TYPE OF CONDUCTIVITY (P1) AND OF SAID IMPURITY OF THE ORDER OF ONE PART OF IMPURITY TO 10**5 PARTS OF SEMICONDUCTOR, (F) SUBSEQUENTLY DIFFUSING A SECOND VAPOR OF AN IMPURITY ONE VALENCE GROUP OPPOSITELY REMOVED FROM THAT OF SAID FIRST VAPOR THROUGH ONLY THE SAME SAID APERTURE AND INTO ONLY THE CENTRAL VOLUME OF SAID ACTIVE BASE TO FROM AN EMITTER (N2) OF HIGHER CONDUCTIVITY THAN THAT OF SAID BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAVING A TYPE OF CONDUCTIVITY OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE TYPE AND OF SAID OPPOSITELY REMOVED IMPURITY OF THE ORDER OF ONE PART OF IMPURITY TO 10**4 PARTS OF SEMICONDUCTOR. 